Buckinghamshire

Buckinghamshire's population grew in the decade to 2011. Data from the census also show there were changes in housing tenure, religion and work life.

The population passed half a million

In the decade leading up to the most recent census, the population of Buckinghamshire increased by 5.5%, from just over 479,000 to 505,000.

The addition of about 26,000 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Buckinghamshire was home to, on average, 5.1 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Rise in private renting

Census 2011 data also show a housing tenure change in Buckinghamshire.

The percentage of households in Buckinghamshire that rented privately increased from 7.8% in 2001 to 13% in 2011.

The proportion that lived in social housing remained close to 13%, while the percentage of Buckinghamshire households that owner their home decreased from 76% to 72%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 10% in 2001 to 16% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Buckinghamshire increased by 5.1 percentage points

Percentage of households in Buckinghamshire, the South East and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Buckinghamshire

The number of people in Buckinghamshire that described themselves as having no religion increased from just over 72,000 in 2001 to about 120,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 15% to 24% of the local population.

The percentage increased by less than the average across the South East (from 17% to 28%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Buckinghamshire that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 350,000 in 2001 to about 310,000 in 2011 (from 73% to 61%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from just over 33,000 to about 36,000 (from 6.9% to 7.1%).

About 26,000 people (3.6%) said they were Muslim, up from about 17,000 in 2001 (5.1%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Buckinghamshire increased by 8.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Buckinghamshire by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Buckinghamshire working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 16% to 13% in the decade to 2011.

In 2011, just under 1 in 30 (3.1%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 2.2% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 14% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Buckinghamshire decreased by 3.2 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Buckinghamshire, the South East and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

More single people in Buckinghamshire

The percentage of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased in Buckinghamshire, but at a slower rate than across England.

In Buckinghamshire, the proportion of single people increased from 26% in 2001 to 29% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion across England increased from 30% to 35%.

Across the South East, the share of people who had never been married or in a civil partnership increased from 29% to 32%.

The proportion of married people in Buckinghamshire fell from 57% to 54%, while the proportion of people who had divorced or separated from a marriage or civil partner increased from 9.1% to 10%.

The proportion of people who had never married or entered a civil partnership was lower than across the South East

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 and over that that said they were single across local authority areas in the South East and the average across England, March 2011

Health improved

The percentage of Buckinghamshire residents that described their health as bad or very bad decreased from 5.8% to 3.5% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

In 2011, just under 9 in 10 (86%) said their health was good or very good, compared with 75% in 2001. The percentage of Buckinghamshire residents that described their health as fair decreased from 19% to 11%.

The proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 7.2% in 2001 to 4.4% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 9.1% to 5.5%.

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Buckinghamshire decreased by 2.3 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Buckinghamshire, the South East and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

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